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SUBMITTED TO :Lakshmipathi SirDepartment of MicrobiologySericulture College Chintamani

SUBMITTED BY :Pavan Kumar. NI B.Sc (Agri)ID.No :ALC 3041Sericulture College Chintamani

Topic : Fungi

Contents :

1. Introduction.

2. Definition.

3. Characteristics of fungi.

4. Size and shape of fungi.

5. Types of Hyphae.

6. Nutrition of fungi.

7. Importance of fungi.

Introduction :

There are about two million kinds of living organisms on the earth, of which fungi constitute approximately a hundred thousand species. Fungi are diverse and versatile organisms adopted to all kinds of environment. These are found on earth, in water, in moist soil, in compost, or in decomposing organic matter as saprophytes. They are also present in plants and animals as parasities and play an essential part in the economy of nature.

Definition :

The Fungi in Latin word is “Mushroom” . They are eukaryotes ,simple in structure and thallus in nature, lack chlorophyll and they are widely distributed in nature, they are unicellular or multicellular organisms.

Characteristics of fungi :

They are thallophytes and they produce thread like structure called Hyphae. Clusters of hyphae is called Mycelium.

The hyphae cell wall is made up of chitin which is a fungus Cellulose. One reserve food is glycogen. Mycelium is made up of a false tissue called pseudo parenchyma.

They reproduce both sexually and asexually.

Size and shape of Fungi :

Most fungi grow as hyphae which are cylindrical, thread like structures i.e, 2-10µm in diameter and upto several centimeters in length.EX : Penicillium.

3-4µm in diameter and 40µm in length.Ex : Yeast.

Cell is rod ,50µm in length and 4µm diameter with a rigid cell wall.Ex : Saccharomyces pomba.

THEIR ARE THREE TYPES OF HYPHAE :

1. Non septate (coenocytic).

2. Septate with uninucleate cells.

3. Septate with multinucleate cells.

Nutrition of fungi :

Parasites obtain their food by infecting and then feeding on living organisms.

Saprophytes feed on dead organic matter.

Fungi are heterotrophic in their nutrition.

They lack chlorophyll and therefore cannot manufacture their own food from carbon dioxide and water.

The essential difference between our digestive system and that of fungi is that fungi digest most of their food externally.

Importance of fungi :FoodFungi are also important directly as food for humans. Many mushrooms are edible and different species are cultivated for sale worldwide. Fungi are also widely used in the production of many foods and drinks. These include cheeses, beer and wine, bread, some cakes, and some soya bean products.

MedicinesPenicillin, perhaps the most famous of all antibiotic drugs, is derived from a common fungus called Penicillium. Many other fungi also produce antibiotic substances, which are now widely used to control diseases in human and animal populations.

Biocontrol Fungi such as the Chinese caterpillar fungus, which parasitise insects, can be extremely useful for controlling insect pests of crops.

Thank you